Love Before Fallen Petals
by A.R.C.Fangirl 0w0v
Summary: Walking alone under the blooming cherry blossom trees, Akashi gets a surprise call from Nijimura. It's nice and sweet, and Akashi always loves hearing the voice of the one he loves. However, for a moment, he swears Nijimura's voice isn't coming from the phone and a phone call isn't the only surprise from Nijimura. NijiAka Week 2k16
"Let's all go to the park!" Hayama cheered to his fellow Rakuzan teammates. Akashi, Mibuchi, Hayama, and Nebuya were all currently finishing up their drinks at a local Kyoto cafe. "It can be our last big shebang before we have to leave Akashi!" Graduation time was just around the corner for the third years, leaving Akashi the final original first stringer at Rakuzan.

"This late?" Akashi asked, a brow raised. It was at least 5:30 in the evening.

"Yes, that's a wonderful idea, Ko-chan," Mibuchi instantly agreed, not finding the time late at all.

"Sounds awesome," Nebuya added.

"Did you three plan this before hand?" Akashi asked, not liking being left out. The upperclassmen were all sharing giddy, knowing looks around him all morning.

Mibuchi let out a laugh, clinging onto Akashi beside him. "Nothing gets passed you, Sei-chan~ Now let's go since we've all agreed!"

Before Akashi could even retort about not agreeing to anything yet, his upperclassmen already pulled him out of the booth and out the door towards the park. However, he did notice Nebuya playing around with his phone a bit behind Mibuchi and Hayama dragging him along.

Mibuchi let out a relaxed breath, standing tall in the middle of the park. "Nothing like a beautiful spring evening, huh, Sei-chan?" he asked Akashi. "It's been so warm lately that even the cherry blossom trees are blooming early!"

"Let's go check it out!" Hayama declared, pointing to the pink trees in the distance. "First one there wins!" And a second later, he took off.

"I got this! Leg muscles!" Nebuya shouted afterwards, running after Hayama.

"I refuse to lose to a brute and an eccentric!" Mibuchi fumed, following behind. "Coming, Sei-chan!?" he called when at a distance.

Akashi sighed, shaking his head. "You three are children," he said, smiling. He only trotted behind, not really taking part in the race. However, maybe he should have at least ran enough to keep up with the Uncrowned Kings.

When Akashi arrived at the cherry blossom trees, his upperclassmen were nowhere to be found. That was very odd considering they were, well, them. And all very tall.

Akashi turned left and right in search, but they still weren't in sight. He began wandering the path, stray petals fluttering down from the trees above him. There was barely anyone around though, let alone his teammates. Another odd occurrence considering how full the cherry blossoms were in bloom.

Right when Akashi was pulling out his phone to call the others about their whereabouts, it went off. With another curious expression, Akashi looked at the caller ID. Things were just getting odder and odder.

"Shuuzou?" Akashi asked when picking up. "Why are you calling?"

" _Gee, hello to you, too, Sei,_ " Nijimura sarcastically responded.

"My apologies. I didn't mean it like that," Akashi apologized. "I just know it's late in Los Angeles. Or very early. Approximately 2 in the morning, correct?"

Nijimura let out a small laugh through the phone. " _Memorized the time difference I see. I just couldn't sleep so I thought I'd call you._ "

"Did you wake up in the middle of the night or were you awake the whole time?" Akashi asked.

"S _omething like the second one,_ " Nijimura answered. " _What's up?_ "

"I'm out with Mibuchi and the others. They're graduating soon and Hayama wanted everyone to spend some time with each other one last time."

" _That's nice. Am I keeping you? Should I leave you be?_ "

A small smile grew on Akashi's lips. "No, it's alright. I seem to have lost them when they wanted to race to the cherry blossom trees."

Nijimura laughed again. Akashi could just see his bright smile despite not being face to face. " _I'm glad to be keeping you company._ "

"Yes, thank you." Akashi very much liked speaking with his long distance lover.

" _Wait, so where are you right now? Cherry blossoms? No wonder you can't find the others; must be crowded._ "

" _Maruyama_ Park. And there's actually not many people around me right now." Akashi looked around the deserted path, leaning against a trunk of one of the cherry blossom trees. "I must be in a lesser known area."

" _Huh, I would consider that pretty lucky then. If you didn't have to find the others and all. Other than that, perfect place, huh?_ "

Akashi looked around a bit once more, really taking in the sight.

" _The twilight sky. The cherry blossoms glowing with the golden light. The surface of the water glistening with the setting sun._ "

At Nijimura's words, Akashi made a bewildered look. Everything the other just said was completely true, right before his eyes. "Have you been to _Maruyama_ Park before, Shuuzou?"

"Not quite."

Akashi went rigid, nearly dropping his phone. That voice. It wasn't coming from his mobile device.

Slowly, Akashi's arm dropped down to his side. His heart was beating hard against his chest as if it was trying to break free. Just as slowly as his arm, Akashi turned his head, suddenly feeling light. He dropped his phone this time at what he saw, who he saw, just a few steps away.

Nijimura was standing before him, a heartfelt expression clear on his face. His steely shaded eyes were glossy, dampening from joy as he was on cloud nine.

Akashi stood frozen. He couldn't move from shock. His eyes were wide. His lips were slightly ajar. It was barely registering to him that Nijimura, his Nijimura, was standing within reach. Not in the past, not in LA, not in some other far off place. Right in front of him.

When it looked like Akashi wasn't going to move anytime soon, Nijimura trotted up to the redhead. He let out a lighthearted laugh as he made his way over to Akashi, the same laugh Akashi missed hearing in person.

Now standing only a few inches apart, the two could only stare straight into each other's eyes. Their real, sparkling eyes. Their laptops could never capture and display the full beauty of the real things. And after what seemed like a lifetime of silence, just taking in that the other was in front of them, someone finally spoke.

"Hey, Sei..."

Akashi still couldn't find his words. His throat was suddenly dry. Instead, he hesitantly reached out, afraid it was all just a dream and that he'd wake up to find none of this was real.

Nijimura met Akashi's reach halfway, intertwining their fingers. Their first real touch since he left.

"Shuuzou..." Akashi finally managed to say, the most genuine smile he could possibly make on his lips as tears of joy threatened to fall from the corners of his eyes.

"Sei..."

Without another word, Nijimura pulled Akashi close, closing the space between them with a kiss. Their first kiss with each other. It was by no means perfect, but nonetheless it was considered perfect for them. Nijimura's tight hold around Akashi's waist and behind his neck, Akashi's just as tight grip on Nijimura's shirt as he pulled them closer together. Finally reunited, neither of the two wanted to let the other go, only parting briefly for air. It wasn't even until who knew how long did they finally pull back, although still in each other's embrace.

"I'm back," Nijimura first said, slightly out of breath.

"Welcome back," Akashi responded. "But, how? And here? Now?"

"I was accepted into Tokyo University and I wanted to surprise you," Nijimura answered, a smile never leaving his face. "Surprise."

"But Kyoto? How'd you know I'd be here?" Akashi continued asking. Questions were just running through his head.

"I called and had some help," Nijimura answered once again, this time with a sheepish smile.

"Damn, we thought you guys were never gonna stop," a booming voice called from a few trees and bushes away.

A loud smack followed after the voice. "Ei-chan!"

"Yo!" a third shouted over.

Akashi sighed, he and Nijimura pulling away a bit more when noticing the audience.

"Shuu-chan called us up and told us his idea about surprising you, Sei-chan~" Mibuchi explained, he and the others running up to the couple. "And, just seeing you so happy!" he added, unable to finish his sentence nor contain his glee. Although, he did shoot a glare at Nijimura a second later. "However, the level of that kiss was _not_ in the plan, Shuu-chan."

Nijimura let out a fake cough, turning away to hide his red cheeks. Akashi did the same, turning the other way.

"Though, it's not like we were supposed to be here," Nebuya defended. "But still." He let out a low whistle. This made Nijimura blush even harder.

"Wasn't this a great spot though!?" Hayama asked, inadvertently saving the couple. "Leave it to Mayuzumi-senpai to know empty places at any location."

"Mayuzumi-senpai helped?" Akashi asked, legitimately surprised.

" _Not like I was trying to,_ " a new voice said.

Akashi and Nijimura shared confused looks before Hayama happily showed his phone. On the screen was Mayuzumi. Hayama had webcam-ed him since he was inadvertently a part of the plan.

" _Hayama just asked for the quietest spot at_ Maruyama _that still had cherry blossoms without any contexts,_ " Mayuzumi answered. " _I only answered. If I knew what it was for–_ "

"Oh please, you'd totally still help," Nebuya teased.

" _No, I wouldn't. I thought I was done with this stupid club when I graduated..._ "

"Please, you love us!" Hayama responded.

"It wouldn't have killed you to have visited more," Mibuchi added.

" _Yes, it would've..._ " Mayuzumi deadpanned.

"Hey, Sei," Nijimura whispered to Akashi with the others distracted, hinting an escape when he turned to him.

Akashi let out a soft laugh, nodding his head.

Before anyone noticed, the couple made their hasty leave, Akashi being sure to pick up his phone. They were sure to thank the others later, but for now, they had a lot of catching up to do, just the two of them.

"I love you, Sei."

"I love you, too, Shuuzou."

* * *

 _More for_ _NijiAkaWeek2k16! Hope you find this as fluffy as I! My heart bursted with fluff when I was writing and picturing their moment in my mind!~_


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